


Nightmares

by black_rose4



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 18:05:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4886530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_rose4/pseuds/black_rose4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of an art/fic trade. My half of the trade for noctuaalba. </p><p>Ever since their visit to the Fade, the Iron Bull has been shaken. When he wakes in the night, he and Mryiem are left to ponder what his dream means.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Noctuaalba](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Noctuaalba).



He knew something was wrong as soon as the smoke settled. She wasn’t stood, grinning at him like she always was at the end of a fight. In fact there seemed to be no sign of her at all. He looked around, hoping to find her, but knowing in his gut that he wouldn’t. He always saw her straightaway, never had to look far for her.  

He moved slowly, each footstep heavy as he walked towards the spot where he’d last seen her. Small dust clouds still lingered in the air, but the bodies on the floor rose through them. His gaze fell on each one, praying as he looked upon them that he wouldn’t see her. His heart sank when he saw a familiar set of leather armour, the person wearing it so small he hardly recognised her in it. He knelt beside her, reaching out to brush a bloody lock away from her cheek, his hands shaking as he did so. It couldn’t be… She couldn’t be…

A spurt of blood spat from her mouth and she coughed weakly. His hands shot to her, throwing care aside for concern as he gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. Her eyes cracked open and she searched desperately to find him. “I’m right here kadan.”

Her mouth opened as if to speak, but nothing came out. She was already so pale and cold to the touch. He was losing her, he knew it. “It’s okay kadan, you don’t have to speak. Just stay with me.” Her eyes closed and panic gripped him. “Stay awake.  _Myriem, wake up_.”

_Wake up._

“Bull, wake up!”

He sat bolt up in bed, almost throwing Myriem off the bed in his haste. She scrambled to stay on the bed, still too asleep to let her natural reflexes save her. A large hand grabbed her arm and hoisted her back onto the bed, only for her to be drawn into a set of strong arms. They locked around her and held her tightly, pinning her to the Iron Bull’s chest.

Myriem wriggled in his arms, trying to free herself enough to at least be able to breathe again. “Vhenan, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

To her annoyance he remained silent, too lost in his own thoughts and busy clutching her to his chest. Myriem placed her hands on the side of his face, making sure she had his attention. “Bull, you almost threw me out of bed because of whatever’s wrong.  _Please_ , talk to me.”

His vision finally seemed to focus on her, his good eye locking onto her face and taking her in. “Kadan.” He said the name like a sigh of relief, the tension in his muscles easing a little. “I thought I’d lost you.”

Myriem barely had time to look at him, baffled, before he pulled her to him again, this time letting her head rest on his shoulder as he held her close. She had no idea what was going on, but clearly it was something bad if it had shaken even the Bull. Few things seemed to truly shake him, and even those few things tended to fall into the same category: demons. But he’d been asleep and to her knowledge demons did not frequently visit him whilst he dreamt. If they did then he’d kept very quiet on the matter.

He clung onto her so tight, as if fearing she would disappear at any moment. The terror she had seen in his eye…She struggled to recall another time where she had seen him like that.

“What did you see?”

His embrace never loosened as he spoke, his voice unusually shaky. “I thought I’d lost you. I thought – I saw you die in my arms kadan. I searched and I searched and when I finally found you it was too late.”

She worked her arms free and ran a comforting hand up and down his back, shushing him quietly and whispering  _everything’s alright, I’m right here, I’m fine_. He rocked them slowly back and forth, arms never loosening around her. If he let go she might disappear, he might wake up. There was no way he was risking that, risking losing her.

“Has this happened before?”

Her question caught the Bull off guard and he stopped their rocking to sit back and look at her. “I – no, not that I can recall. This is a first for me.” A strange look passed over his face, one Myriem struggled to read. He seemed…confused. “I don’t normally dream about things like this. Death sure, but it never – it never gets to me like this. I don’t know what this is kadan. I don’t –”

“Shhh, it’s okay.” She placed a finger over his lips to quieten him, her lips quickly replacing her finger. “It’s okay to not know what this is. I haven’t a clue either. And maybe we don’t need a name for it. After all, we already have a name, our own name.” Myriem placed her hand over the Bull’s heart. “Ma vhenan.”

He looked at her for a moment, still baffled, but when he mirrored her actions he seemed to find some clarity. “Kadan.” His other hand came to rest on her cheek, thumb stroking softly, and he smiled warmly at her.

They sat like that for a long moment, both perfectly content to remain as they were. Were they able to, they could sit like that for hours.

Eventually though, Myriem broke the silence. “You know, we’re both awake now. And I’m sure you wouldn’t say no to some  _extra_   _comforting_.”

The Iron Bull chuckled, the meaning behind her words obvious. His hands went to her waist and drew her close, pulling her onto his lap. “Well, I wouldn’t say no.” His head tilted as he leaned in to kiss her, Myriem mirroring his actions and warming into his embrace.

It was a good hour before they went back to sleep, not that either of them minded. When they finally slept again they were content and sated. A smile curled both their lips as they slept and the Iron Bull slept the soundest he had done since their return from the Fade. Once again he was content. They both were.


End file.
